George Wallace does not select LeMay as VP Nominee in 1968

[Atom]

What the title says. George Wallace former governor of Alabama, 3rd party candidate in the 1968 election, chose retired Airforce General Curtis LeMay as his running mate. This is widely seen today as a mistake, as LeMay immediately proceeded to talk about how much he wanted to start nuking Vietnam and other countries, which even for Wallace's Law and Order/White Supremacist base was considered extreme.

So, Wallace doesn't chose LeMay. Who else could he chose? Could he keep the wide level of support he had in the summer of '68? Could he actually throw the election to the house of representatives?


Edit:
Bah. Reading too muchabout the Scottish Referendum. Obviously I'm talking about George Wallace. Sorry folks. That would be an interesting ASB thread though.

 

[Pellegrino]

What the title says. William Wallace former governor of Alabama, 3rd party candidate in the 1968 election, chose retired Airforce General Curtis LeMay as his running mate. This is widely seen today as a mistake, as LeMay immediately proceeded to talk about how much he wanted to start nuking Vietnam and other countries, which even for Wallace's Law and Order/White Supremacist base was considered extreme.

So, Wallace doesn't chose LeMay. Who else could he chose? Could he keep the wide level of support he had in the summer of '68? Could he actually throw the election to the house of representatives?

He was already dead. Literally. It pretty much ended his campaign in the north when he stood at the doors of the University of Alabama screaming "They may take our lives, but they'll never take our segregation! Alba'ma gu bra!"

 

[U.S David]

If he picks Storm Thurgood, this could make South Carolina and North Carolina vote Wallace.

For the election to go to the House, get Wallace to also win Tennessee. And then get Humphrey to win Missouri and New Jersey.

It's now in the House. The 5 closet states is all you need.

 

[Tim Thomason]

What the title says. William Wallace former governor of Alabama...

Whoops, that's an annoying mistake. The name you're looking for is *Henry* Wallace. Or was it *Marsellus* Wallace?

 

[Delta Force]

Whoops, that's an annoying mistake. The name you're looking for is *Henry* Wallace. Or was it *Marsellus* Wallace?

Still incorrect.

William Wallace was a Scottish figure who led an uprising against the English between the 1290s and 1300s.

Henry Wallace was FDR's vice president from 1941 to 1945.

George Wallace ran on the American Independence Party ticket in the 1968 United States presidential election.

 

[Atom]

Woops! Very dumb of me. Can't change the title now. Should probably message a mod.

 

[Delta Force]

Woops! Very dumb of me. Can't change the title now. Should probably message a mod.

If you go the After 1900 index and double click on the title of this thread, you should be able to change it. It only lets you do that for a brief period of time, but I think should still be able to do it.

 

[asnys]

I have nothing particularly to contribute, not being up on my political history, but for a long time I have half-wondered if LeMay deliberately sabotaged Wallace's campaign. My understanding is that LeMay was no racist, at least by '50s and '60s standards, so it just baffles me how he ended up on Wallace's ticket.

 

[Octosteel]

Wonder what would have happened with Colonel Sanders as his running mate.

 

[Emperor Julian]

If he picks Storm Thurgood, this could make South Carolina and North Carolina vote Wallace.

For the election to go to the House, get Wallace to also win Tennessee. And then get Humphrey to win Missouri and New Jersey.

It's now in the House. The 5 closet states is all you need.

Thurmond probably would not back Wallace. Not unless George Romney or Nelson Rockefeller managed to gain the Republican nomination.

 

[UncleDynamite]

I have nothing particularly to contribute, not being up on my political history, but for a long time I have half-wondered if LeMay deliberately sabotaged Wallace's campaign. My understanding is that LeMay was no racist, at least by '50s and '60s standards, so it just baffles me how he ended up on Wallace's ticket.

Heh, I never thought about it like that. LeMay's answer was that he thought Wallace would fight the Reds best, so he backed him. From what I know about him, he didn't seem too knowledgeable/interested in politics, ever. From the bio I read of him, he was focused like a laser on beating back the commies, and his other views(he was apparently a staunch environmentalist) didn't matter much to him.

You are correct, though, LeMay did Wallace no favors. He was a big driver behind integrating the military and IIRC his candid response to questions about integration on the campaign trail was "Well, it worked for the Air Force, so I don't see why it wouldn't work generally." That statement was completely true, though it isn't the best thing to say if you're George Wallace's running mate.

If he picks Storm Thurgood, this could make South Carolina and North Carolina vote Wallace.

Is that Thurgood Marshall's wrestling name?

"Sometimes history takes things into its own hands. My hands bring only pain!"

 

[asnys]

Heh, I never thought about it like that. LeMay's answer was that he thought Wallace would fight the Reds best, so he backed him. From what I know about him, he didn't seem too knowledgeable/interested in politics, ever. From the bio I read of him, he was focused like a laser on beating back the commies, and his other views(he was apparently a staunch environmentalist) didn't matter much to him.

You are correct, though, LeMay did Wallace no favors. He was a big driver behind integrating the military and IIRC his candid response to questions about integration on the campaign trail was "Well, it worked for the Air Force, so I don't see why it wouldn't work generally." That statement was completely true, though it isn't the best thing to say if you're George Wallace's running mate.

Yeah, but no matter how apolitical he was, he had to know how that would play politically. I mean, he was basically saying that he was opposed to the central platform of a Wallace presidency. LeMay may have been uninterested in politics outside of Stopping the Goddamned Commies, but he wasn't stupid.

 

[Octosteel]

Thurmond probably would not back Wallace. Not unless George Romney or Nelson Rockefeller managed to gain the Republican nomination.

Was this because Nixon was conservative enough for Thurmond? Also, were Thurmond and Wallace even similar in policies outside of segregation? At the end of the day, Thurmond switched to the Republicans while Wallace stayed a Democrats so they must have had differing views.

 

[Emperor Julian]

Was this because Nixon was conservative enough for Thurmond? Also, were Thurmond and Wallace even similar in policies outside of segregation? At the end of the day, Thurmond switched to the Republicans while Wallace stayed a Democrats so they must have had differing views.

Economically, Wallace was significantly to the left of Thurmond. As for Thurmond backing Nixon, I'm not sure. He backed Nixon over Reagan, who was probably closer to Thurmond's views on most issues.

 

[SlyDessertFox]

I have to sig this.

He was already dead. Literally. It pretty much ended his campaign in the north when he stood at the doors of the University of Alabama screaming "They may take our lives, but they'll never take our segregation! Alba'ma gu bra!"

 

[Atom]

If you go the After 1900 index and double click on the title of this thread, you should be able to change it. It only lets you do that for a brief period of time, but I think should still be able to do it.

Thank you. Done. You didn't use to be able to do that. Nice.

 

[black angel]

If he picks Storm Thurgood, this could make South Carolina and North Carolina vote Wallace.

For the election to go to the House, get Wallace to also win Tennessee. And then get Humphrey to win Missouri and New Jersey.

It's now in the House. The 5 closet states is all you need.

Thurmond was very much in the Nixon camp, basically got Nixon the job by going to every GOP southern delegation and telling them that Dick was ok, and Dick let Thurmond draw up his VP short list

 

[modelcitizen]

compared to the noise LeMay got iotl for running with a segregationist, ittl LeMay lives happily ever after.


Big Butterflies... a demented version of Ronald Reagan becomes president in 1976, and makes LeMay ambassador to Japan...


(Edit: The big purple bat, in mid-flap, looks up, and declares, "No! I insist! I am a butterfly! Shoo! Put that net away! Scram!")

 

[eliphas8]

I'm tempted to say they'd still fuck up their plan since Wallace just strikes me as a very alienating reactionary politician who ultimate attracts this kind of controversy.